Gradually, Nie Yan and the Rock Spider Leader closed to within about three yards of each other. The Rock Spider Leader twitched and turned its gaze toward where Nie Yan was hiding.

Nie Yan's body was completely immersed in darkness. The shadows provided excellent cover for him.

But the Rock Spider Leader's gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the darkness.

Nie Yan's heart was pounding. He held his breath, pressed tightly against the rock wall.

The Rock Spider Leader's compound eyes swiveled, locking onto Nie Yan's hiding place. A figure gradually became clear. It squeaked and pounced on Nie Yan.

"Damn, I've been discovered." Nie Yan's heart sank. He activated an Acceleration Scroll, sprinting towards the pool of water as fast as he could.

The other two Rock Spider Leaders also moved, flanking him.

They blocked Nie Yan's path. One Rock Spider Leader rammed into him.

Nie Yan bent his knees into an arc and leaped.

Nie Yan's encumbrance was still Light Load. A Heavy Jump covered three yards, with a height of about half a yard, instantly clearing the Rock Spider Leader's pounce.

*Boom*. The Rock Spider Leader crashed into the rock wall. The rock wall cracked, and rubble tumbled down.

The other two Rock Spider Leaders pounced at Nie Yan simultaneously from two different directions.

With quick eyes and hands, Nie Yan rolled, dodging between the two Rock Spider Leaders. *Thump*. The two Rock Spider Leaders collided. The force of the impact sent them sprawling on their backs, legs flailing.

The three Rock Spider Leaders' fat bodies had almost completely blocked off all paths.

Nie Yan squeezed through the narrow gap between the three Rock Spider Leaders, running forward about five yards, then using the momentum of his run, he sprinted towards the pool of water.

One of the faster Rock Spiders pounced in front of Nie Yan.

Nie Yan jumped, dodging, and plunged into the pool of water with a splash, sending water spraying high into the air.

The three Rock Spiders lingered on the shore for a while, but finally didn't dare to enter the water.

Close call. Nie Yan swam towards the bottom of the pool, activating the skill on the Water Repelling Bead.

The light underwater was dim, and visibility was very poor. Undercurrents surged, making swimming very difficult. At times, his body drifted backwards involuntarily.

Nie Yan stabilized himself, observed his surroundings, identified the direction, and swam forward.

*There shouldn't be any monsters*, Nie Yan thought. After swimming for about ten minutes, he saw a beam of light overhead.

"A treasure chest near this location!" Nie Yan thought, plunging into the deeper part of the lake, swimming into the darkness. In his past life, every inch of this place had been searched, even the darkest corners had not been spared. Someone had found a chest here in his previous life.

Pitch black. Nie Yan could only feel his way around. His feet touched the bottom, and several protruding rocks tripped him, causing him a slight pain.

Feeling around the rocks at the bottom of the lake.

He touched a patch of fine, soft sand. There seemed to be something underneath the sand. He brushed the sand away layer by layer. A golden light entered his eyes, causing them to contract sharply.

"Jackpot! It's a Golden Treasure Chest!"

The golden chest emitted a glittering sheen in the darkness. Every inch of its surface was covered with delicate carvings. There was some wear and tear, but it didn't detract from its appearance. Instead, it gave it a sense of the vicissitudes of time.

A symbol on the chest caught Nie Yan's eye. It was a delicate Dire Wolf totem. The fist-sized Dire Wolf image was so exquisitely carved that even a strand of hair was rendered with great detail.

Every piece of equipment and item in Atalán was full of rich historical accumulation. The sculptures, paintings, totems, handicrafts, and weapon styles of each era had their own unique characteristics, so the history of any era could be verified.

After ten years of immersion, Nie Yan had gained a detailed understanding of these totems and paintings.

The Dire Wolf totem was the symbol of a group of pirates operating in the Xinze Sea. During the Era of Joint Rule (873-1235), they had caused the Republican Kingdom a great deal of trouble. Finally, the councilors discussed and decided to send the most elite navy to eliminate them. The joint navy composed of giants, humans, elves, and beastmen caused these pirates to flee in terror. The pirates were finally defeated. However, legend had it that before the war broke out, the pirates had transferred their treasures to hidden locations on various continents. According to the laws of the Republican Kingdom, any lost treasure found would belong to the treasure hunter. So countless treasure hunting teams began their adventures. Since then, many pirates' treasures had been found, but many more remained lost in the continent of Atalán.

A Golden Treasure Chest left over from the Era of Joint Rule – the distant history alone sparked the imagination.

In his previous life, he only knew that a treasure chest had been found nearby. At first, he thought it was just an ordinary chest, but he didn't know that it was actually a Golden Treasure Chest left over from the Era of Joint Rule. It was estimated that the person who found the chest had deliberately concealed its level.

Nie Yan opened the chest and reached inside, feeling around. A dagger fell into his palm. His heart pounded uncontrollably.

He took the dagger out of the treasure chest and looked at its attributes.

Assassin's Training (Dagger): Unidentified.

He didn't know what its attributes were. Although the dagger had been eroded by the years, the edge still flashed with a bright, cold light. The structure was a little different from ordinary daggers. The hilt was studded with gemstones of various colors, extremely gorgeous. It was streamlined, with a blood groove and a slightly upturned tip, forming a barb that could easily open flesh.

Assassin's Training? Nie Yan searched his memory. He had never seen this dagger before, and he had no way of guessing its attributes. Judging from the design and construction alone, this dagger should at least be a Gold-grade item.

Nie Yan understood what a Gold-grade piece of equipment meant at low levels. It meant that you could have an endless future.

Filled with endless anticipation, Nie Yan put away the Assassin's Training. Even if he didn't succeed in obtaining the Chapter of Courage this time, this trip would have been worth it.

According to the main system's convention, there wouldn't be another top-quality chest next to a top-quality chest. Such clustering was basically non-existent. He swam towards the beam of light above. The light became more and more dazzling. With a *splash*, he swam out of the water, finding himself in a very small pool.

Looking around, he was in a beautiful valley. Clear springs gurgled, flowing along the ravines in the valley. The forest was lush, and the verdant grass was like a carpet, dotted with all kinds of wildflowers. Wisps of fragrance drifted through the valley.

Surrounding him were steep cliffs covered with trees of various colors. It should be a closed valley.

Nie Yan walked into the depths of the forest. The dense leaves blocked the sunlight from above, but the light still shone through the tender green leaves, so the forest didn't seem dark at all. Streams of green light drifted through the forest, giving a mysterious and warm feeling.

Wandering through it, it was as if he had entered a wonderful world.